National Basketball Association (NBA)

As we continue celebrating #AAPIMonth, we're spotlighting Jonathan Hsu, Head of Operations in Marketing. Read the full interview below! Describe Your Role After spending 12 years at NBA China in various roles including Strategy & Operations, CEO Affairs and heading up Marketing and Player Marketing, I now lead the Marketing Business Operations team. This team supports business planning, goals and strategy alignment, budget management and forecasting and project management for the global Marketing department. What does being an #AAPI employee at the #NBA mean to you? It’s been an amazing privilege to be able to contribute to growing the game internationally, particularly in China. The NBA’s global appeal and unifying power – bringing vastly different audiences together around the love of the game – has become even more inspirational and real to me, as I witnessed the massive fandom in China up close, as well as in our other regional markets. Being able to help support the development of an #AAPIHeritageMonth PSA featuring Damian Lillard, a virtual roundtable with Jeremy Lin and this year’s Lunar New Year campaign spot featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton were recent initiatives that were particularly meaningful. In what ways has your AAPI background influenced your approach and demeanor in the workplace? Growing up as a Chinese American in Texas and working in the US and abroad has given me a multi-cultural perspective and a profound respect for the diverse backgrounds and experiences that have made the NBA such a vibrant, dynamic organization. What is your fondest AAPI memory? Launching our NBA Lunar New Year Celebration – now in its thirteenth year – was a dream come true, particularly seeing the first campaign spot (starring Stephen Curry, James Harden, Dwyane Wade and Jeremy Lin) broadcast both in China and the US, teams across the league celebrating Lunar New Year and my hometown Rockets sporting Chinese character jerseys.

Get ready WNBA fans! The WNBA tips off tonight for its highly anticipated 28th season. With the 2023 season garnering its highest viewership in over two decades, and a wave of young talent ready to make their mark, the excitement for this year has reached new heights! The four-game slate for opening night includes No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2/ESPN+/Disney+ Keep up with the action all season long on the #WNBA App. https://lnkd.in/eh-bAr-z

Global superstars. Global game. 🌍 🏆   The league recently crowned Nikola Jokic (Serbia) its 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. This marks Jokic's 3rd MVP, and the sixth straight season an international player has won the award. Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) round out other recipients. The #NBA is committed to expanding its global footprint. At the start of the season, a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories were on NBA rosters. Learn more about Nikola Jokic's MVP at link.nba.com/Jokic-MVP and watch him play in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semis tonight at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN. #NBAPlayoffs #KiaMVP

Continuing our #AAPIHeritageMonth employee #spotlight series, we're featuring Catherine Chao, Business Strategy Lead. Read the full interview below. Describe Your Role. I joined a relatively new team that oversees business strategy for our Global Partnerships group. We identify opportunities for new and existing partnerships to elevate fan experiences and optimize for long-term commercial value. What does being an #AAPI employee at the #NBA mean to you? Two things! First, amplifying underrepresented voices (inclusive of women and multicultural groups) and celebrating our connection to the game and each other. Second, making time to foster belonging, which I define as making others feel safe and seen, and showing up. I try to balance how I do this both formally and informally – through allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship on one end and everyday levity moments on the other. In what ways has your AAPI background influenced your approach and demeanor in the workplace? For context, courtesy and modesty are virtues that contribute to a ‘heads down, stay quiet’ practice within parts of the AAPI community. While my parents instilled these virtues in me growing up, they’ve never encouraged me to adopt these specific behaviors and it shows…I’m often sharing thought-starters and seemingly silly ideas because I’ve seen how they can drive conversation and evolve into meaningful fan experiences. It’s why in addition to welcoming input from others, I actively seek it; it would be a shame if good ideas went unheard due to modesty and courtesy being interpreted as having nothing to say. What is your fondest AAPI memory? Eating a perfectly ripe mango from my grandmother’s tree and picking up a full breakfast spread from her village market. This was on a visit to see my grandparents in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) the summer of my second grade; it was the first time I was old enough to remember meeting them and the last time I’d spend with three of them. This trip profoundly influenced my perspective. It’s where I first felt the beauty in living simply and the gratitude I’d forever carry for my family’s generational journeys. To come from a culture and home where feelings and experiences are not forthrightly verbalized, this trip helped teach me the cultural context and strength in intrinsic qualities such as subtlety, balance, gratitude, resilience, and patience. Equally importantly, it introduced me to the pride and comfort I feel today as both Chinese and American. #aapi #aapiheritage #nba

What makes a great #teammate? Here's advice from Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley who was named the 2023-24 Twyman-Stokes #Teammate of the Year for the second time in his career. "You do things more for others than you for yourself...that sticks out to guys who you've been around in locker rooms with." In his 17 year career, Conley also holds the record as a four-time #NBA Sportsmanship Award recipient. Conley continues to show his dedication to being a team-player and a selfless leader. Off the court, Conley has worked hard to exemplify this selfless nature to his three kids, "[I just try] to get them to understand that it's not about you at the end of the day, what can you give to the world and how can you affect it in a positive way." What's your secret to being an exceptional teammate? #NBAPlayoffs #teamwork #collaboration

Calling all NBA fans in Europe 📣 Get ready for the NBA Paris Games 2025 presented by Tissot featuring the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, January 23 and Saturday, January 25 for two regular-season games! This will be the first time the #NBA will play two regular-season games in #Paris in the same season. In addition to the games, the league, the Spurs and the Pacers will conduct interactive fan activities, #NBACares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Paris. Register your interest at NBA.com/Paris. #NBAParis

“The kid is a warrior. I can’t say enough good things about Jamal Murray.” Coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets had this to say about Jamal Murray after he became the only player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to score two game-winning field goals in the final five seconds of a #playoff game in a single series. Jamal Murray was a game-time decision with a calf strain but was determined to play. By the end of the night, the decision to play proved to be the difference in advancing the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals.

In celebration of #AAPIMonth, our Asian Professionals Exchange Employee Resource Team (APEX ERT) conducted several #AAPI employee spotlights. This week, we tip-off the spotlight series with Krishna Bhagavathula, Chief Technology Officer. Read the full interview below. Describe Your Role. "I’m responsible for our technology strategy and ensuring that it’s aligned with the league’s business goals. My department’s mission is “to drive innovation through tech to empower our staff, delight our fans and safeguard our brand.” The work we do spans the gamut from managing networking infrastructure across all our global offices, driving our data-center operations, and executing technology installations and operations at numerous events." What does being an AAPI employee at the #NBA mean to you? "I consider myself very fortunate to have a leadership role that sits at the intersection of three things I’m super-passionate about: tech, media and sports. I love the NBA’s mission to inspire and connect people through the power of basketball – and the inclusivity, community, diversity and camaraderie that I experience here every day is extremely satisfying. We have so many incredibly talented colleagues that I’m in equal measure inspired and humbled by daily." In what ways has your AAPI background influenced your approach and demeanor in the workplace? "I moved around a fair bit during my childhood, growing up in various parts of India and spending my formative years between the ages of seven and fourteen in North Africa (Tripoli, Libya) as an expat. In retrospect, that set me up early on to deal with situations where I looked different from many of the people around me. I also learned to appreciate cultural diversity and accept different perspectives. And that taught me to make an extra effort to understand the “why” in a colleague’s perspective by asking questions and digging into details, especially when their opinions are significantly different than mine." What is your fondest AAPI memory? "About two weeks into my role, I was invited to attend a Diwali (Indian festival of lights) celebration and introduce myself. Not only was the room jam-packed with AAPI staff and allies, there was also beautiful décor and a fantastic presentation on the history of Diwali, not to mention Indian snacks (samosas!). It was GREAT fun, and an early sign of the inclusivity I’d experience here over the next six years!"

In celebration of #AAPIMonth, our Asian Professionals Exchange Employee Resource Team (APEX ERT) conducted several #AAPI employee spotlights. This week, we tip-off the spotlight series with Krishna Bhagavathula, Chief Technology Officer. Read the full interview below. Describe Your Role. "I’m responsible for our technology strategy and ensuring that it’s aligned with the league’s business goals. My department’s mission is “to drive innovation through tech to empower our staff, delight our fans and safeguard our brand.” The work we do spans the gamut from managing networking infrastructure across all our global offices, driving our data-center operations, and executing technology installations and operations at numerous events." What does being an AAPI employee at the #NBA mean to you? "I consider myself very fortunate to have a leadership role that sits at the intersection of three things I’m super-passionate about: tech, media and sports. I love the NBA’s mission to inspire and connect people through the power of basketball – and the inclusivity, community, diversity and camaraderie that I experience here every day is extremely satisfying. We have so many incredibly talented colleagues that I’m in equal measure inspired and humbled by daily." In what ways has your AAPI background influenced your approach and demeanor in the workplace? "I moved around a fair bit during my childhood, growing up in various parts of India and spending my formative years between the ages of seven and fourteen in North Africa (Tripoli, Libya) as an expat. In retrospect, that set me up early on to deal with situations where I looked different from many of the people around me. I also learned to appreciate cultural diversity and accept different perspectives. And that taught me to make an extra effort to understand the “why” in a colleague’s perspective by asking questions and digging into details, especially when their opinions are significantly different than mine." What is your fondest AAPI memory? "About two weeks into my role, I was invited to attend a Diwali (Indian festival of lights) celebration and introduce myself. Not only was the room jam-packed with AAPI staff and allies, there was also beautiful décor and a fantastic presentation on the history of Diwali, not to mention Indian snacks (samosas!). It was GREAT fun, and an early sign of the inclusivity I’d experience here over the next six years!"

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn about these six approaches to taking care of your mental health and find your perfect match at mindhealth.nba.com/squad. #MHAM #mentalhealthawareness